Lamont Weekly Report, January 15, 2010

The Haitian earthquake was a perfectly normal and natural (and not unexpected) event, but the magnitude of the human suffering that it has caused brings sadness to us all. A sadness that is offset just a little by the joyous news that CIESIN's Marc Levy and Andy Fischer, who were working with the UN in Port au Prince, came safely home yesterday.

Our seismologists have been flooded with questions and requests for interviews by both print and broadcast press - we have had several Lamonters doing TV interviews over the last couple of days and the frenzy shows little sign of abating.

But onto other things ...Please block out the afternoon of Friday April 16th in your calendars - we are organizing a very special event to recognize Wally's 50 years as a DEES faculty member - none other than Mike Crow will be presiding
- so it promises to be fun. Details later.

As many of you know Barbara Charbonnet has been functioning in an interim capacity as Development Director for Lamont since the departure of Sarah Huard. I am pleased to announce that Barbara has now been instructed to do away with the tiresome 'interim' qualifier and is now permanently ensconced in this vitally important position.
I will spend Tuesday in DC - on the Hill - doing the rounds of the NY delegations - Serrano, Rangel, Lowey, Engel, Gillibrand, Schumer - and then meeting with the CU lobbying firm down there. It will be a long day.
But first we will have a long weekend - Happy MLK Day,